County seeks EPA grant

Hill County could receive an environmental assistance package from the federal government next year.

The Hill County Commission is applying for a federal grant to aid in the discovery and assessment of contaminated commercial and industrial sites.

In a press release Monday, the County Commission said it will discuss the grant application for the Brownfields Program on Thursday. The release said the "grant will provide another tool for economic development throughout Hill County."

The Brownfields Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides money to assess contamination sites.

The EPA defines brownfields as "abandoned, idle, and under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination."

The program identifies three types of properties that are eligible for funding. They are sites contaminated by petroleum, sites contaminated by petroleum products, and sites contaminated by controlled substances.

Hill County Commissioner Kathy Bessette said the program is a way to increase economic development.

"It's an area where grants are available. Larger cities use the program a lot. It has funds we could utilize for evaluation," she said.

Bear Paw Development Corp. wrote the grant application.

Anne Marie Robinson, deputy director for Bear Paw, said Hill County has "numerous potential sites for the Brownfields Program."

Potential contamination sites include Cenex and the North Central Senior Citizens Center, she said.

"We also found contamination in the general vicinity of the Golden Spike," Robinson said.

Soil contamination was discovered near senior center in 1994, Robinson said. The soil was tested for stability for a new addition to the center. During those tests, high hydrocarbon levels were discovered, she said.

The EPA performed additional tests, and determined it to be a "plume" site, meaning the contamination had originated elsewhere, Robinson said.

Contamination near the Golden Spike was discovered when the city of Havre was installing 16-inch water mains in 1999. The source of the contamination has not been conclusively determined, Robinson said.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has identified other sites in Hill County that could be eligible for assessment under the brownfields grant. According to the department's Leak Prevention Program, there are 38 documented sites in Havre with underground storage tanks that are leaking hazardous materials.

Petroleum product leakage can cause high levels of hydrocarbons to be present in the surrounding soil. Hydrocarbons are potentially harmful substances that can contaminate water supplies, according to the EPA.

The brownfields grant would be used to assess and evaluate potential sites, but would not pay for actual cleanup costs, Robinson said.

The assessment will consist of two stages, according to the commissioners' press release. "The first phase will obtain background information of the site to determine the extent of contamination and legal and financial risks," the release said. "The second phase is site investigation. Samples of the site to identify the type, quantity, and extent of contamination are done."

The grant must pass a two-part application process before funding becomes available.

The initial grant application will be reviewed by the EPA's regional office in Denver on Monday. If the application is accepted, Hill County will present a second grant application to the national EPA office in Washington, D.C., by March 5.

If the grant is approved in Washington, the money will not be immediately available.

"It will take 60 days minimum to receive the money," Robinson said. "Then we will have two years to finish the assessments.